OLD Through Twilight and Shadow
by Indigo Fireflight
Summary: AU Movieverse. In Moria, what if Legolas was unable to dodge the chain, or an orc shaft? Or Boromir and Aragorn didn't reach the cave troll in time to help Sam? Or the spear had hit Frodo's arm, where the mithril couldn't protect him? Started at 13yrs old


Summary: AU Movieverse. In Moria, what if Legolas was unable to dodge the chain, or an orc shaft? Or Boromir and Aragorn didn't reach the cave troll to help Sam in time? Or the spear had hit Frodo's arm, where the mithril couldn't protect him? Rated K+ just in case.

Disclaimer: None of them are mine. Same with the dialogue and description from the movie, although anything not from the movie is mine.

"Behold, the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf," Gandalf's voice rang out in the caves of Moria.

The company of the Fellowship was, quite simply, astounded by the beauty of Dwarfish artistry. Stunned, the Hobbits faces lit up and their mouths practically hung open. Even Legolas' eyes glittered at the rather unexpected beauty, despite his knowledge of the artistic exquisiteness of Dwarfish work. Who knew that a cave could boast such astounding splendor?

"There's an eye-opener, make no mistake," Sam muttered, summing up everyone's thoughts of the cave. Gimli's lips parted slightly in wonder.

Suddenly, Gimli made for the wall to their right, and escaping through an opening to some sort of chamber. The others caught up with the dwarf to see him on his knees, wailing. Gandalf approached the stone slab in front of Gimli and translated, "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." He paused. "He is dead then."

Gimli resumed his mourning over his lost cousin, the quiet words he spoke tainted with grief(1), and Boromir rested a hand on his shoulder. Legolas hung back, not wishing to offend the dwarf by doing likewise. It just wasn't what elves and dwarves did. With a sigh that stayed in his mind, Legolas took on a tone of concern and turned to Aragorn to speak, "We must move on; we cannot linger."

Gandalf spotted a book in one of the corpse's hands and pried the book out of the skeletal fingers. He opened it to a page and began to read: "They have taken the bridge… and the second hall. (at this point Gimli quiets and faces Gandalf) We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums… drums… in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out…" Gandalf looked up at the rest of the Fellowship, and read the last line, faded and scrawled: "They are coming!"

Pippin discovered that he had backed into a corpse. Curious, he twisted the shaft buried in its body. Before anyone could stop him, the skull fell off, soon followed by the rest of the carcass, into the well, the young Hobbit wincing at each crash and bang.

Gandalf slammed the book shut and snatched his possessions away from Pippin, who had been holding them. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Pippin assumed an ashamed look, saying nothing.

Thump… thump… thump. The sound of drums. Everyone froze in shock. "Orcs," Legolas seethed.

Boromir peeked his head out to look, only to receive three arrows where his head should have been. Aragorn warned the others to get back. Aragorn helped Boromir close the door, who added in sarcastic relief, "They have a cave troll."

A flurry of activity erupted as Legolas tossed the pair object with which to bar the door and everyone else unsheathed their weapons. Gimli was enraged, and brandished his axe upon Balin's tomb and shouted, "Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The boarded doorway began to give way, and one goblin head poked through, which soon had one of Legolas' arrows jutting out from it. As the door eventually gave way and a wave of orcs rushed through, the group launched themselves into the fray and the battle in Moria began.

Boromir first held off the orcs with his sword, and Aragorn and Legolas with their bows, until Aragorn traded it for his own sword. Soon after, the Hobbits, along with Gandalf, joined in the fighting with loud shouts of anger. Over the whoosh of arrows and the clang of blades, several loud, quickly paced thumps (at least for whatever lumbering creature it may have belonged to) caught Sam's attention. It was the cave troll Boromir had promised lumbering through the door, which was now made much bigger by its hulking frame. Legolas quickly notched an arrow and shot it into the troll's shoulder, only to infuriate it. Its steely blue eyes set its sights on Samwise. Boromir and Aragorn began to run towards the beast, and Sam was paralyzed with shock and prepared himself for the impending blow.

Smack. The mace caught his ribs on the left side in a sideways blow and sent him flying. He would have cried out as his sailing body drew closer to the wall, but the pain he felt searing his chest prevented that. As he struck the wall, he knew no more.

With a shout, Gimli hurled his axe at the troll, who responded by wildly flailing his mace at the dwarf. As it cornered him, the elf's eyes caught the peril that Gimli was in and shot two arrows into the beast and it stumbled back with a roar of pain, and Gimli proceeded to take down another orc with his axe.

Legolas leaped up onto a nearby ledge. As two orcs approached, he unsheathed his knives and effectively took them out. The troll was upon him now, swinging about the chain bound to him. The elf dodged the first blow, and the second, and he became mildly cocky, something that angered him fiercely later on. Then an orc arrow being shot into his back from behind caught him off guard in his arrogance, and the shock caused him to do nothing, an action that he loathed himself afterwards for.

The third swing hit its intended target, cutting into his right side. He stumbled back, gasping in pain. He gathered himself remarkably quickly as the troll's chain wrapped around a pillar. He dexterously made his way across it the best he could despite the circumstances and shot an arrow straight into the hulk's head. It did not falter.

He jumped down to the ground and stumbled backwards, blocking a goblin's blade and beheading the creature who bore it. He would not stop now, not in the heat of battle. The arrow had been ill aimed; it would not be the death of him. He could go on. He miraculously gathered the strength in himself to continue.

The troll changed his target to Frodo, who had hidden behind a pillar with Merry and Pippin earlier and had just emerged. With a shout of surprise, Pippin and Merry dodged to the right, and Frodo, the left, back behind the pillar. Fear deeply set in his features, he moved about the pillar and tried to avoid the monster. When he seemed to have disappeared, he let out his breath – until it roared in his face, saliva dripping from its unseemly fangs.

He screamed and fell back, stumbling into a corner. The monster gripped the Hobbit's leg and dragged him, crying out in fear. One of the Hobbits yelled Aragorn's name, and Aragorn began to pursue the troll. Frodo slashed at the troll with Sting, causing it to howl in pain and drop him, landing on the stone floor with a soft "oof". Aragorn yelled in anger and stabbed the creature with a spear, whilst Merry and Pippin pelted it with rocks. Bellowing, the cave troll swatted Aragorn away liked he weighed nothing. He hit the opposite wall and blanked out. Frodo came after him and tried to revive him, but to no avail. The troll grabbed the spear Aragorn had used to try and kill it and aimed for Frodo. Two strikes, and Frodo dodged them both. Then, backed into a corner, the troll finally impaled Frodo with the spear.

Unfortunately, it did not hit his mithril-protected chest, but instead stabbed Frodo's left shoulder. Frodo gasped, and fell unconscious. Merry and Pippin, shocked and afraid for their friend, suddenly charged at the troll with angry bellows and leaped upon it, stabbing with their swords. Sam, now roused, raised his head slowly and saw Frodo with the spear lodged in his shoulder. "Frodo!" he cried, then leaped to his feet and took out two orcs with a nearby pan. He had risen too quickly, and soon crumpled to the ground where he stood.

Merry screamed as the troll reached back and dangled him above the ground, dropping him when Gimli approached the beast. "Ungh!" he muttered as he hit the earth harder than preferred. It then knocked Gimli to the ground as well.

Legolas had been waiting with an arrow notched in his bow, pushing the pain in his side and back out of his mind for now. Then, as Pippin dug his sword into its head and the beast opened its mouth to roar, he released the arrow and hit its brain through the roof of its mouth. It moaned, and fell to the earth, and Pippin yelled in surprise as he flew off.

Everyone in the Fellowship scuttled, while Legolas did so painfully and Samwise crawled slowly, to where Frodo had fallen. "No, Frodo," Aragorn breathed, flipping him over. They could all see the puncture in Frodo's shoulder and Sam's eyes widened.

As Aragorn touched the wound, Frodo jerked away. His blue eyes wearily met Aragorn's own and began, "What…?"

"The cave troll," Aragorn answered. "Can you stand?"

Frodo slowly nodded and rose to his feet. Sam chuckled in pure glee that his master was all right, to which his injured ribs objected, and he moaned in pain and placed a hand on his side, and felt something sticky right on the spot. All eyes turned from Frodo to the injured Samwise.

"Are you all right, Sam?" Aragorn asked him. Sam tried to respond, but his head began to spin again and nausea swept over him. He shuddered and leaned back against the wall. He drew his hand away and his eyes widened at what they saw. Blood. Its scent began to tint the air, and that combined with the nausea was too much. He blacked out.

"Sam!" Frodo cried out, and Aragorn reached him. He looked the Hobbit over quickly. "His ribs appear to be broken, and it looks as if our friend was unfortunate enough to have had one of them break the skin on the outside." He lifted his fallen comrade and placed them into Boromir's arms, who winced in sympathy. He then scanned the room.

They all focused on him. All but Legolas, who had averted his eyes as Aragorn looked at the elf. He could see a red stain on the right side of his tunic, and a glimpse of something black peeking out from behind him. "Legolas, don't hide your injury from me."

Legolas began to protest. "It's nothing, really. I'll be fine." When Aragorn gave him that commanding glance that demanded him to turn around, he grumbled and complied, revealing the arrow shaft that was still lodged in his back. Aragorn advanced, and Gimli suppressed a gasp of shock.

"What happened?" Aragorn demanded.

He looked a little embarrassed. "An orc caught me off guard-"

"An orc? Caught an elf off guard?" Gimli said sarcastically, then looked away with regret for his words as everyone shot him an angry glare.

"Yes, and it managed to hit me with one of its arrows," Legolas continued. "The troll took the opportunity to hit me with its chain." He shied away from Aragorn as he reached for the arrow. "I am fine, Aragorn. There is no time! I hear more orcs approaching."

Aragorn huffed, and left the arrow. For now. Then Gandalf said, "To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" and they took flight.

* * *

As the orcs surrounded them in the hallway outside, Legolas shook fiercely from loss of blood and rebuked himself for his stupidity as he raised his bow. How could he have let that pathetic excuse for an orc hit him and that lumbering, slobbering troll strike his body and leave him like this? Then he was stopped as the piercing shrieks of thousands of orcs entered his ears. He saw them turning tail and running away. He lowered his bow, then he asked himself a frightening thing: away from what?

Boromir spoke up. "What is this new devilry?"

Frodo's eyes flitted about in fear, his hand resting on the wound from the spear. He looked pale.

"A Balrog," Gandalf growled, "a demon of the ancient world." He paused. "This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"

* * *

"Quickly!" Gandalf shouted, shepherding the small band through the small doorway. As they took off down a flight of stairs, there was a missing segment, and Boromir dropped his torch and flailed his arms wildly, trying to keep his balance. Rapidly, though slowly in his tired mind, Legolas reached out and pulled Boromir towards his chest and fell back upon the stairs, causing him to hiss in pain as the arrow dug in a little deeper. He heard Gandalf rapidly tell Aragorn something, and Aragorn trying to reach him. He saw Gandalf push him away and yell, "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!" And suddenly they were all running down the flight of stairs at their right.

They came towards a gapon the stairs. Wordlessly, he advanced ahead of Aragorn and leaped across it, landed on the other side somewhat gracefully. "Gandalf!" he called, as rocks began to tumble down at them. Gandalf followed him, and the whistle of arrows stung the air. Legolas looked up and fired arrows at the orcs that had followed them there.

Boromir handed the still unconscious Sam over to Aragorn and grabbed Merry and Pippin. "Merry! Pippin! Yah!" He leaped over the gap and a huge chunk of the bridge fell into the abyss below them.

Aragorn shifted Sam in his arms and extended his hand towards Gimli. "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he protested, and Legolas could not resist chuckling. Gimli had obviously underestimated how far he could jump, and nearly fell into the chasm. Legolas reached out quickly and retrieved his friend by the beard. "Not the beard!" he shouted, but was grateful for Legolas saving him.

Aragorn pushed Frodo back as more of the bridge crumbled beneath their feet. A large stone from the ceiling breaks off a bigger chunk of bridge from behind them. He wrapped his free arm around Frodo, who clutched him tightly. "Hang on! Lean forward!"

Legolas was suddenly filled with fear. "Come on!"

Aragorn and Frodo tipped the stairs forward to where their companions were and leaped to safety, and the Fellowship surged on.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf ordered them, but instead of following, turned around to face an approaching pillar of fire. A creature with a freakish, horned appearance came into view, and the Fellowship sprinted across the bridge.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf yelled.

"Gandalf!" Frodo called after him.

"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Undun!"

The Balrog roared and brought his sword down upon Gandalf. The old wizard gritted his teeth and brought his own sword up, shattering the Balrog's. "Go back to the Shadow!" he said fiercely.

The great fiery monster began lashing a flaming whip, but it did not intimidate the wizard. Instead, he brought his sword and staff together in midair. He was quaking with fury, and he yelled in a most frightening, powerful voice, "You – shall not – pass!"

As far as anyone could register, there was a great flash of light, the ground rumbled beneath their feet, and the Balrog disappeared beneath crumbling stone. Gandalf panted heavily. As he turned around and began to follow them, the whip of fire wound itself around his ankle and pulled him down to the edge of the gap.

As he struggled to keep his grip on the ledge, Frodo lunged forward, only to be restrained by Boromir. "Gandalf!"

Gandalf halted his struggle and stared back at them. "Fly, you fools!" he rebuked, then dropped into the enveloping darkness, his cloak fluttering behind him.

"No!" Frodo's scream pierced the darkness and rang out in the cave, the echo of pain in it none of them would soon forget. As they turned to leave the cave, Legolas looked back for a moment, and, for the first time in years, a single tear slid down his lonely cheek, mixed with the ash, and hit the gritty stone beneath him. "_Namarie, mellon nin_,"(2) he spoke in the Elvish tongue, then sullenly turned and headed for the light which promised further darkness.

Hope you liked it. Please review. Criticism is accepted, but not flaming. Thank you.

1 – If you really listen while Gandalf opens the book in FOTR, you can hear Gimli speaking. I found out on the net that he says, "Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram… Balin tazlifi."

2 – If you aren't one who knows Elvish, that means, "Farewell, my friend."


End file.
